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Steps to Help Protect Yourself from Identity Theft
Identity theft is a growing problem all over the world. From credit card fraud to bank scams, there are multiple ways thieves use your data to steal your identity. With basic information such as your home address, phone number and last four digits of your social security number, thieves can impersonate you and gain access to deeper data about you which will give them what they need to open credit cards in your name. It’s very important to check your credit score regularly and to report strange mail or evidence of accounts you have never opened. If you see new charges or cards on your credit report, you need to take action right away so you’re not liable for that money.
There are multiple steps you can take to ensure your accounts and private data are not accessed. Here are just a few of those steps:
- Change bank and other passwords every month
- Don’t give out your personal information over the phone to anyone you don’t know
- Don’t give out your full social security number over the phone, if a bank rep asks for it hand up and go to a branch instead
- If you’ve lost your credit or debit card, cancel it right away and get a new one
- Don’t let vendors or cashiers walk away with your credit card, they can be writing down the number and security code
- Don’t give you your phone number online unless it’s for a legitimate reason
- Don’t leave your phone alone with someone you don’t know, they could install spy software on your device
- Don’t give you your passwords and codes to anyone you don’t completely trust
- Be wary of anyone calling asking for your social security number
- Google yourself on occasion to see if private information is posted online
- If you see your address, phone number or any other personal data online call a internet search company right away and have that data removed
- Be careful about what you post online, don’t post private data
- Don’t write down bank account numbers or your social security number in public places
- Don’t give out your credit card number over the phone in a crowded room
- Use a VPN when on public networks, or stay of public networks
These points can help diminish the chances you will be targeted for identity theft. The less information anyone has about your private data the better. If you find information online concerning your social, phone, address and family member names, you should take steps to have that data removed. Think of the basic things banks ask for to prove identity: first and last name, last four of your social, address, bank account number or debit card number. Many of these elements can and are posted online by shady data brokers. The rest can be socially engineered by sneaky thieves. So be aware of who you’re talking to and what data you’re giving out. Be careful even about the security questions you answer on websites, as these give information that proves identity to your banks and other accounts. Use security questions that are easy to remember and that not any one, even someone who knows you, will know. For instance, many banks ask what your mother’s maiden name is, that can easily be found online. Other banks ask for the high school you went to or the name of your grade school, again this is information that many people may know about you or that can found online. If your data has already been breached and you find a lot of your private data appearing online, then you need an expert to come in and set thing straight. Wiperts is an internet search company. They find all the websites that are posting your information and get all or most if it removed. They can help you protect your data so that thieves can’t gather it and use it to steal your identity. Their prices are very reasonable and worth the price of mind you’ll have knowing that these private facts aren’t out online for anyone to see and steal.
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